Saturday, 1 July 2017

30 mullion dollar profit for Neoliberalist

Neoliberalism: This word can mean many things
to many people, including an economic program, a political project, and a phase
of capitalism dating from the 1970’s, at its root, however, neoliberalism is
the idea that everything should be run as a business, that market metaphors,
metrics, and practices should permeate all fields of human life. So wrote Ben
Tarnoff on the 8th of June 2017.

Of course now days we have come to realise that this notion was
introduced by Roger Douglas in 1984 to the New Zealand scene and was strongly
supported by various Ministers of Finance like Ruth Richardson. Let’s take a
look at a real neoliberal in action.

How to make a 30 million profit and buy New Zealand citizenship on the
side:

No industry has played a larger role in evangelizing the neoliberal
faith than Silicon Valley, so it came as no surprise to see John Key’s
government break all the rules and make Peter Thiel [pictured] a New Zealand
citizen.

This billionaire runs [co-owner] Palantir a company that produces the
data that allows the US to spy on and listen into IT data from around the
world. He backed Donald Trump to the tune of one and a half million dollars,
and he is on track to make heaps more as an adviser to the US President.

The entrepreneur was granted citizenship in June 2011 under exceptional
circumstances despite not having lived in the country previously and not
intending to do so in the future.

Normally a permanent resident has to spend more than 70 percent of their
time in New Zealand over five years - more than 1300 days - before they can
apply for citizenship.

Mr Thiel applied for an exemption, arguing that given he was an
entrepreneur and was involved in philanthropy; it would be in the public
interest.

Former economic development minister, Steven Joyce, has confirmed a
report from The New Zealand Herald that Mr Thiel's Valar Ventures ended
its five-year partnership with the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund in
October by activating a buyout option.

The option allowed Valar Ventures to make about $30 million dollars from
its input of between $7m and $9m, while the fund returned about $10m from the
same input, Mr Joyce said.

12 June, 2013
- Then-Prime Minister John Key responded to questions
in Parliament about Mr. Thiel, saying he had met Mr Thiel on "a few
occasions" and their relationship was cordial. Mr. Thiel was
"extremely generous" after the Christchurch earthquakes, Key said.

The then PM
John Key then used every excuse he could to cover his backside when questioned
in the house about the relationship with Mr. Thiel by the then Green co-leader
Russel Norman…this exchange makes really interesting reading…it also shows how
the Speaker went out of his way to protect the PM. If you have time please go
to the following and read for yourself this most interesting exchange.